> I did not mean to imply that I thought <religion> was going to continue to be
> asuccesfull meme. In fact, I think that within my life time the %infected by
> <religion> will fall dramatically. In this case I feel it is because the
> environment is changing. <Religion> will either have to mutate (I think so
> radically it will be difficult to still call it <religion> ) or will be replaced
> by a more virulant meme. Possibly psuedo-science.
I have thought about this a few times, and in a way it is related to culture. I
think, though I do not have access to the data, that religion is more prevalent and
primitive in direct relation to scientific knowledge. One study I am aware of (I read
it in the Boston Globe about a year ago) was interesting. I think it was a basic
question posed to a large percentage of professional scientists in the USA. The
question was the favorite: Do you belive in a God? Only 40% of the scientists
surveyed said that they did believe in God. This percentage was about the sae as the
same question asked 100 years ago. This result seems to me to imply that most people
"demanding reason" are less likely to fall to things unprovable. Since our general
popluation contains only about 10% non believers, I draw the conclusion that a large
majority of Americans are: Brainwashed, non critical thinkers, or too uneducated to be
critical in their thought.
The problem is this. I dont see this trend changing much. I want religion to go away,
but unless I die, I dont think Ill ever be free from it. Its a real shame too, all the
resources and minds that are wasted to appease a non existant entity. It makes me sick
and fearfull for our species.
Sodom